Appian Publications and Recordings

ANATOLE KITAIN The Complete Columbia Recordings 1936-1939

2CDs
Compact Disc 1 (69.51)

CHOPIN
1. Rondo in E flat Op 16; 2. Mazurka in A minor Op 17/4; 3. Ballade No 2 Op 38; 4. Ballade No 3 Op 47; 5. Scherzo No 1 Op 20; 6. Étude in G flat Op 10/5; 7. Étude in E flat minor Op 10/6; 8. Étude in C Op 10/7; 9. Étude in F Op 10/8; 10. Étude in C minor Op 10/12

LISZT

11. Waldesrauschen S145/1; 12. Vallée d’Obermann S160/6; 13. Sonetto 47 del Petrarca S161/4; 14. Sonetto 123 del Petrarca S161/6; 15. Feux follets S139/5

Compact Disc 2 (52.47)

1. SCHUMANN Toccata in C Op 7

2. BRAHMS Ballade in D minor Op 10/1; 3. Waltzes Op 39

19. SCRIABIN Étude in C sharp minor Op 2/1; 20. Prélude in A minor Op 11/2; 21. Mazurka in E minor Op 25/3

22. RACHMANINOV Élégie in E flat minor Op 3/1; 23. Étude-tableau in F minor Op 33/1; 24. Prelude in G sharp minor Op 32/12
25. STRAUSS/GODOWSKY Die Fledermaus
26. RIMSKY-KORSAKOV/STRIMER The Flight of the Bumble-Bee

ANATOLE KITAIN (1903–1980) was an exact contemporary and fellow pupil of Vladimir Horowitz in Kiev, where he studied, as did the slightly older Simon Barere, with Felix Blumenfeld. All three developed fabulous techniques and were romantic pianists in the grand manner, and each fled Russia after the Revolution to make their way in the West. That Kitain is the least known can only be put down to misfortune as these pre-War European recordings attest to a pianist of fabulous talent. Sadly he failed to ‘make it’ after his Wartime emigration to the USA and slowly faded from view, giving his last New York concert in1963.

CRITIC’S CHOICE (American Record Guide 1996)

‘I would put this important release into my "Top Fifty All-time Great Piano Recordings", without a doubt’ (Classic CD)

Previously issued on APR7029

APR6017